Batman: Arkham City from a Fangirl's Perspective

It's no secret to my friends and colleagues that I'm mildly obsessed with the world of comics. And the Batverse, while not without its flaws, is at the forefront of my superhero fetish.

The result: I'm very picky about my daily helping of Bruce Wayne. Call me a fan girl, but I prefer to think of it as just having high standards. Standards that Batman: Arkham City exceeds more than any Batman game to date.

At this year's E3 2011, I finally got my hands on this hot sequel to 2009's runaway hit. What made it so good? How did it expand on the successes of Batman: Arkham Asylum? Glad you asked.

Getting the characters right is key when bringing a world as dynamic as Gotham City to life. The right choices can help propel a game to greatness, and the wrong ones can destroy the illusion and alienate fans everywhere. Based on my recent demo of the PlayStation 3 version of the game, I have to say that Batman: Arkham City, following the example set by Arkham Asylum before it, knows this, and delivers an overall package that's more complete and satisfying than any comic book game I've played to date.

Along with the comics themselves, Batman: The Animated Series helped set the standard for how an entire generation imagined the Dark Knight. Accompanied by the brilliant performances of Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as Joker, for many -- myself included -- these iconic timbres are the voices of one of the most iconic superhero/villain combos in all of comics. To hear these voices return in Arkham City really helps bring these memorable characters to life. And down to the gruff yet stylishly tongue-in-cheek dialogue, it's incredible how fully realized this rogues' gallery really is.

Sure, it's not all to the letter. The Penguin's cockney accent, missing monocle, and oversized voice box aren't exactly in line with the Oswald Cobblepot I've come to imagine. But his delusion of grandeur and the way he interacts with Batman are both just right. I also wouldn't have had Selina Kyle locking lips with common thugs. Not that she's never been depicted in such a way, but I always imagined her as behaving more like a cat. In other words, a huge tease, but someone who makes you work for any real show of affection -- unless you're Batman, of course.

Meee-ow!

Still, nitpicking aside, the overall vision of Arkham City is so impressive I can't bring myself to begrudge these slight quibbles. Rock Steady nailed Selina's catlike and unabashedly sexual movement, as well as her propensity for shiny, valuable things. She even plays differently than Batman rather than just being a cheap add-on. Her swift, more acrobatic attacks, intimate connection with the city, and more stealth-based gameplay are spot-on, and really provide a refreshing change of pace from Bruce's gadgets and brute force.

The combat in Arkham City also contributes to capturing the mannerisms and characteristics of Gotham's Guardian. While the combat in Arkham Asylum was passable, it was definitely lacking in certain areas. But Arkham City seems to have honed in all the rough edges of the previous game and brought a much more layered and complex battle system to the table. You are now able to engage multiple enemies at once, and it's now intuitive and easy to use items during battle.

All of these things are mainstays in Batman's battle tactics, so it's nice to see them employed in a practical and fun way. Little touches like that go a long way in making you feel more engaged in the combat, a feature which was somewhat lacking in the previous game. Context sensitive takedowns have also been improved. If Batman gets the finishing blow on an enemy near a rail, for instance, he'll smash their face into it. It's cool, it's cinematic, and it's a welcome improvement.

As highlighted in the trailers, Batman can also now glide much more effectively. In fact, he's practically dabbling in Clark Kent territory in this one. While it's awesome to witness, it's even more fun to actually experience. I truly felt like I owned the night as I soared over this huge sub-section of Gotham City. Every corner of every building was within reach, and flying through the air like a creature of the night was beyond satisfying.

Overall, from what I've seen of Batman: Arkham City, fans of the comics should be excited. It may not be a perfect reimagining, but it's close enough to be worthy of recognition. As for me, October 18th can't come soon enough, and I look forward to donning the cape and cowl once more and seeing for myself what other surprises Rock Steady has in store.

What are you most excited about in Batman: Arkham City? What aspects of the game still have you skeptical? Do you think it can recapture the magic of Arkham Asylum? Let us know by sounding off in the comments section below!